Comparison of intrahepatic lymphocytes from normal and growth hormone transgenic mice with chronic hepatitis and liver cancer

SUMMARY Mice expressing an ovine growth hormone–mouse metallothionein promoter fusion gene (METoGH mice) develop chronic hepatitis which becomes progressively more severe over time, hepatocellular adenomas, and eventually carcinoma in the oldest animals. T‐lymphocyte expression of activation/memory‐associated markers was compared between liver and blood lymphocytes isolated from METoGH and non‐transgenic mice at 7, 10 and 12 months of age. The percentage of intrahepatic lymphocytes (IHL) which were CD4+ was markedly diminished in METoGH mice at all times. CD4+ and CD8+ IHL in METoGH mice expressed Ly‐6A/6D at increased density, and were CD45RBlo at later time‐points. Ly‐6C+ and NK1.1+ CD4+ cells, which are common in normal mouse liver, were found at decreased frequency in METoGH livers. Further analysis demonstrated that, as a proportion of total T‐cell receptor (TCR)αβ cells, NK1.1+ TCRαβint CD4+ cell numbers (NKT cells) were diminished in the livers of METoGH mice. Observations made in METoGH mice support the hypothesis that sustained liver inflammation and hepatocellular injury may be linked to liver cancer. Additionally, it is possible that the relative lack of NKT cells may create an environment permissive for the growth of liver tumours.